Kerala has seen a surge in record-breaking individuals, with around a dozen Guinness World Records set in the state over the past year alone. The number of record holders in Kerala has grown to 70, with over three dozen world records set by Keralites since 2020 alone.
Kerala has seen a surge in record-breaking individuals, with around a dozen Guinness World Records set in the state over the past year alone. This has led to a growing number of record-holders in Kerala, with the state being the only one with an association for Guinness record holders. Over three dozen world records have been set by Keralites since 2020, performing various tasks such as hammering nails with the head in one minute, eating most almonds in a minute, making the longest handwritten Quran, and building a tower in one minute with the most number of matchsticks.
In addition to Guinness World Records, an increasing number of people from the state are striving to tame the superlatives through platforms like Limca Books of Records, Asia Book of Records, and numerous other award compilations. Many record setters say it is a celebration of a niche super skill they have intensely strived to develop or taking a shot at personal achievement through a globally recognized platform.
Some record breakers even try to weave in the promotion of a social cause. Sudheesh Payyoli, a social science teacher from Kozhikode, entered the Guinness World Records by creating the largest mosaic with sweet wrappers, sending out a message that anyone can break a world record with proper planning and hard work. He has also secured nine PG degrees and is currently doing part-time research.
Dolphin Ratheesh, a Karunagapally native who won the Guinness World Record for the farthest swim wearing handcuffs and leg irons by covering a distance of 10km in 2020, said in his bid document that he had a special affinity for swimming right from his childhood and made the attempt to share his passion and message, ‘Learn to swim, save your life’.
Experts believe that Kerala’s and even India’s obsession with breaking records and topping lists is also a reflection of the changing times. Social scientist and anthropologist Vineetha Menon said the obsession to break records could be driven by the need to get noticed and appreciated. Dr. Dinesh RS said the obsession with records is linked to society turning hyper-competitive, where people always feel the need to do something unique to get noticed and appreciated.
From a psychological angle, going after records could be part of a defense mechanism where one’s ego can be satisfied by constantly trying to improve on a particular skill with which they are comfortable and by diverting from areas that are difficult for them. However, it should also be looked into whether the singleminded pursuits to break records are contributing to the development of skills beneficial for the person in the long term, are of any social good, or are becoming role models.
Conclusion
Kerala has seen a surge in record-breaking individuals, with around a dozen Guinness World Records set in the state over the past year alone. The number of record holders in Kerala has grown to 70, with over three dozen world records set by Keralites since 2020 alone. The obsession with breaking records is driven by personal achievement, a niche skill, or promoting a social cause. Some record breakers have even created the largest mosaic with sweet wrappers to send a message to students. However, experts argue that this obsession is also a reflection of changing times, with hyper-competitive society and a need for uniqueness. The pursuit of records should be evaluated for their long-term benefits, social good, or role models.
